Inking device



May 2, 1939.

H- E. HAAsE INKING DEVICE original Fledbec. 7, 193e :inventor @y www (Itter-neg Patented May 2, 1939 PATENT oFFicE iNKrNG DEVICE Heinrich E. Haase, Chica go, VIll., assignor to Industrial Patents Corporation, Chicago, Ill., a corporation rof Delaware Original application December 7, 1936, Serial No. 114,689. Divided and this application July 8,

1937, Serial No. 152,641

1 Claim.

This invention relates to an improved printing device.

This application is a division of my application entitled Printing device, Serial No. 114,689, filed December 7, 1936.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide an improved printing device.

Another object of the invention is to provide a printing device having an improved inkfeeding means.

Other objects of the invention will be apparent from the description and claim which follow.

Attempts have been made from time to time to mark sausage products in various ways. Di-

rect printing upon natural sausage casings prepared from animal intestines has been inherently fraught with diiiiculties due to the nature of the tissue. For example, natural casings prepared from animal intestines, because some of the bers are shorter than others, are more or less in the form of a helix. Such casings cannot be flattened into a smooth plane and consequently are not adapted for printing with a flat bed type of printing press.

In accordance with the present invention, a single thickness of the casing is moved in contact with the printing means. This is accomplished by individually shirring and supporting the casings over a curved cylindrical surface xedly secured relative to a rotatable printing roller. The casings are mechanically stretched at the immediate point of printing to assure a flat smooth printing surface.

Reference is had to the drawing in which like characters of reference are used to designate similar elements.

Figure 1 is a side view, partly in section, of a printing device constructed in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 2 is a front view of the device shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a plan View of the device shown in Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a sectional View taken on line 4 4 of Figure 1 illustrating the means for stretching the casing at the point of contact with` the printing roller.

Figure 5 is a detail plan View showing the inking roller mechanism.

Figure 6 is a side view of the mechanism shown in Figure 5.

Figure 7 is an enlarged detailview showing the printing roller mechanism.

In the drawing, a cylindrical mandrel I, of metal or other suitable material, is shown rigidly secured at one end to supporting frame 2, which is bolted or otherwise secured to floor 3. Mandrel I is curved substantially in the form of a goose neck for suitably carrying the helically formed casings.

Mandrel I, at a suitable point between its ends, is provided with stop element 4 and, approaching its free end 5, is gradually ilattened on its upper surface, as at 6, to provide a smooth at surface at the point of printing. Intermediate the ilattened portion 6, mandrel i is recessed at l for mounting shaft 8 and bearing roller 9. The peripheral surface of roller 9 rotates slightly above the surface 6 and in contact with the casings as they pass thereover.

On its lower surface and to either sideof roller 9, as at I9 and II, mandrel I is suitably tapered toward its free end 5. Clusters of relatively stiff bristles I2 or other resilient material, are suitably mounted to extend from the surface of tapered portions ID and II and thus serve to stretch the tubular casings as they are moved relative to the immediate point of printing.

Printing assembly I3, frame I4 and printing roller I5, is pivotally mounted, askat I6, to supporting frame 2 for movement from and toward mandrel I.

Printing roller I5 is pinioned to shaft II journaled in bearings I8 bolted, or otherwise secured,

to assembly frame I4. Shaft I'I is rotatably driven by power transmitted from motor I9 through the agency of shaft 20, worm 2I and worm Wheel 22. Motor I9 is bolted, or otherwise secured, to standard 23 suitably mounted on assembly frame I4.

As shown in Figure 7, printing roller I5 comprises a central printing band 24 carrying type designating suitable indicia and, at its outer peripheral edges, is annularly flanged to provide bearing surfaces 25. Roller 9 is provided with central area 2B having an outer covering of composition rubber 21 or other suitable resilient material and, like printing roller I5, is annularly anged at its outer peripheral edges to provide bearing surfaces 28.

In practice, the casings 29 are individually shirred and supported over mandrel I against stop element 4. The forward end of casing 29 is left extending slightly beyond roller 9 whence it is suitably stretched by bristles I2 and ready for printing at that point. Assembly frame I4, mounting printing assembly I3, is then pivoted toward mandrel I and, as shown in Figure 7, printing roller I5 is moved into contact with the casing against the roller 9.

comprising assembly Y The bearing surfaces 25 of rotating printing roller I` serve to frictionally press the casing against the bearing surfaces 28 of roller 9 and thus feed the casing from the mandrel during printing of the casing by band 24 against resilient surface 2 of roller 9. The tension of printing roller I5 against the casing moved over roller 9 may be regulated by Weight 30 so as not to cut the casing. Weight 30 is adjustably mounted on shaft 3| to counterbalance the weight of the printing assembly I3 at pivotal point I6.

Ink from reservoir 32 is gradually but continuously applied to the type of printing band 24 through the medium of inking roller 33 and doctor rollers 34, 35 and 36. Roller 36 is rigidly secured to shaft 3'1 journaled in bearings 38. Roller 35 is rigidly secured to shaft 39 journaled for slideable longitudinal movement in bearings 43. Roller 34 is rigidly secured to shaft 4I journaled for slideable longitudinal movement in bearings 42. Bearings 38, 40' and 42 are each suitably secured to assembly frame i4. Roller 36 is rotatably driven by frictional engagement with printing roller I5, roller 35 by frictional engagement with roller 3B and roller 34 by frictional engagement with roller 35.

In practice, roller 36 is rotated in a constant plane against the type of printing band 24 of roller I5 while rollers 34 and 35 are longitudinally moved relative to each other and relative to roller 36 so as to provide an even distribution of the ink before its application to printing band 24. To accomplish this, shafts 39 and 4I are each provided with grooved rollers 43 and 44 for the reception of ball ends 45 and r46 of shaft 4I pivotally mounted, as at 48, on standard 49 bolted, or otherwise secured, to assembly frame I4. Pivotal movement is imparted to shaft 41 through the medium of rocker 56, crank 5I and connecting rod 52. Crank 5I is rigidly secured to shaft 53 journaled in bearings 54. Shaft 53 is rotatably driven by power transmitted from shaft II through the medium of sprockets 55 and 56 and chain 57.

Ink from reservoir 32 is intermittently fed to roller 34 through the medium of roller 33. Roller 33 is rotatably mounted to extend below reservoir 32 and when rotated serves to carry a thin film of ink from reservoir 32. Reservoir 32 is rigidly secured to arm 58 pivotally mounted, as at 59, to standard 60 and is adapted for movement from and toward roller 34. Standard 6B is rigidly secured to assembly frame I4. Pivotal movement of arm 58 and thus the reservoir 32 is controlled through the medium of roller 6I in contact with rotatable cam 62. Cam 62 is rigidly secured to shaft 63 journaled in bearings 64. Shaft 63 is rotatably driven by power transmitted from shaft 53 through the mesh of gears 65. and 66.

When dwell 67 of cam 62 is rotated in Contact with roller 6I, reservoir 32 is moved toward roller 34 whence roller 33 will contact roller 34, be rotated by roller 34 and thus deliver a supply of ink to roller 34. The ink supply to roller 34, as hereinbefore explained, will be evenly distributed over the surfaces of rollers 35 and 36 and thus be carried to printing band 24.

The present invention has been described as applied to the printing of natural sausage casings by way of illustration. It will be understood that the invention is also applicable to printing synthetic sausage casings made from cellulosic material and other tubular articles regardless of the materials from which manufactured.

, I claim:

In a printing device including an ink applying roller, means for intermittently applying ink to the ink applying roller comprising an overhead ink reservoir having a bottom opening therein, a freely rotatable feed roller rotatably mounted in said opening, means including an arm pivotally mounting the ink reservoir for movement from and toward the ink applying roller and cam means engageable with the arm, said cam means being operable to permit movement intermittently of the feed roller into positive periodical rotatable contact with the ink applying roller to deposit ink thereon and to positively remove the feed rollers from the ink anpplying roller following the deposit of the ink thereon.

HEINRICH E. HAASE. 

